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Starring
:
Wei
Minzhi
Zhane
Huike
Zhenda
Tian
Enman
Gao
Sun
Zhimei
Yuying
Feng
Producer
:
Zhang Wei-Ping
Yu
Zhao
Director
:
Zhang
Yimou
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NOT
ONE LESS (2000)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
When
the resident teacher at a remote Chinese school is needed to
look after his elderly mother, the village elders see only one
possible solution - hire a temporary replacement for the
school. To this end they hire a young twelve year old girl,
Wei, to teach the children, but she must adhere to one
condition to be paid: each one of the 23 students must be
accounted for, 'not one less', otherwise she will not be paid.
Agreeing to this, Wei starts her work at the school and
finds that her assignment is far more difficult than she at
first anticipated. Firstly, the lack of funds means that even
chalk is at a premium and teaching materials in general are
rationed. Then there's the awkward young pupil Huike who
causes trouble in the classes and distracts Wei from her
important work. One morning, Huike is missing from the class
and his fellow students tell Teacher Wei that he has gone to
the city to earn money for his destitute family. As Wei is
aware that she will not be paid if Huike is not in the class,
the young teacher decides to journey to the city to find him
and persuade him to come back to the village. The first
problem that needs to be faced, though, is the cost of the bus
to the city, so the ever resourceful Wei utilises the
abilities of her students to raise the money.
Zhang
Yimou once again blends together a simple, heart-felt story
with a subtle social critique that works seamlessly. With a
gritty, down-to-earth atmosphere created within the film,
Zhang recalls the Neo-Realist Italian films of the 40s and
50s, though he naturally makes sure there's enough uniquely
Chinese sensibilities within. As with the Neo-Realist classics
like 'The Bicycle Thieves' and even some of the new Iranian
movies, the narrative is deceptively austere yet manages to
weave in moments that examine the society around the main
characters. While Teacher Wei travels to the city and tries to
locate her mischievous charge, the viewer is drawn into the
frustration of the city bureaucracy and the inequalities her
own village faces. Such a seasoned director as Zhang Yimou
ensures that this device is gradually introduced and never
appears to be mere cinematic rhetoric.
'Not
One Less' is the kind of film that would usually earn the
phrase 'slow-burner'. The opening twenty minutes are very
deliberate, but hardly give the viewer much to inspire them.
Thankfully, the characters grow in stature and, when Huike
leaves for the city, the film really hits its stride. As the
strengths become more obvious, lead actress Wei Minzhi takes
centre stage and gives an exceptional performance; the scene
of her waiting outside the television station is a fine
example of her growing in confidence. The young cast prove to
be the main reason why this delicate drama reaches the heart -
no matter what Zhang Yimou's goals were, it is this aspect
that is remembered long after the final credits have rolled.
'Not One Less' is slow-moving and starts awkwardly, but
patient viewers will be rewarded with a very memorable Chinese
production.
Rating:
 
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